Consultation on Co-Education

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the School become fully co-educational?

The first cohort of girls will join Year 7 in September 2018.
By September 2023 the School will be fully co-educational in all year groups.
The first cohort of girls who will be able to join the school in Year 7 are
currently in Year 6.

Will girls be allowed to join other year groups in
September 2018?

Girls
will not be allowed to join the School in any year group other
than Year 7, with the exception of Year 12 and Year 13. This is because
the other year groups are now single sex and it would be not be practical or
conducive to the education of any individual girl to join those year
groups. Therefore girls will join Year 7 in September 2018, with that and
subsequent co-education year groups moving up the school to complete the
process of change over a five year period.

Will entry into Year 7 still be subject to the
selective entry test?

Yes, the
selective entry test will remain the basis for admission of all pupils wishing
to enter the school in Year 7. This test is often referred to as the 11+
test.

Will boys and girls be taught in mixed or
segregated classes?

Although
there is debate about the value of segregated teaching, the evidence strongly
suggests that children perform better both academically and socially in mixed
classrooms. Therefore, boys and girls will be taught in mixed
classes. However, there will be specific lessons, for example some
Personal Education lessons, that boys and girls will be taught separately.

What changes will the School be making to ensure
the success of this proposed change?

The
fundamentals of the School will remain unchanged: a welcoming and nurturing
school with a strong pastoral system, outstanding teaching and learning and
excellent behaviour. The girls will join a school in which they can thrive.

However,
the School will be reviewing its curriculum and pastoral systems to ensure they
are strengthened for the arrival of girls in 2018. We plan to invest in
some building works, such as new toilets and changing rooms, a dance studio and
a large multi-sport playing area which can be used for tennis, netball,
football and so on. We will also appoint a Head of Girls, a new Girls’ PE
teacher and ensure girls are mentored by our own sixth form female students.

Will this proposed change affect the number of
places in grammar schools for boys?

We
and other grammar schools in the area are expanding. Our PAN (Published
Admissions Number) will increase from 112 to 150 to ensure fair
opportunities. Therefore, after careful consideration by the School’s
Governors and the DfE, the change will not be to the detriment of boys.

What will be the proportion of boys
and girls in 2018?

We cannot guarantee the number of
girls that will pass the 11+ Test and choose to join our school. However,
we have very strong interest from girls and their parents and anticipate
approximately 40 to 60 girls in 2018, but this could be many more.

Will the girls be distributed across
all 5 forms?

This depends on the number of girls
we admit into year 7.The girls will be distributed amongst forms
to ensure a good boy/girl distribution. We may have boy only forms in
2018.

Will you offer a wellbeing and
induction programme to ease integration?

Yes. The Co-Education Team is
currently auditing all our systems to ensure we offer a strong Wellbeing
programme, encouraging resilience, mindfulness and mental Health, and a
comprehensive induction ranging from July to mid-September, including a
residential trip, to ensure girls and boys have a smooth transition into
secondary education